The team that coach Jez Clarke has developed over this season are a far more professional and ambitious outfit than they once were, and had their sights set on finishing the season in style. Knowing that eight goals would see them finish as the highest scoring 1st XI in the country was also added incentive.

Barrow 6 race cancelled amid insurance fears

Barrow Runners say they have had to call off the ‘Barrow 6’ a round of the Leicestershire Road Running League, after concerns were raised, despite it taking the exact same route every year it’s been run since 1988.

A FIXTURE of the local running calendar which was due to be run for the 25th year this weekend has had to be cancelled due to safety fears.

Barrow Runners say they have had to call off the ‘Barrow 6’ a round of the Leicestershire Road Running League, after concerns were raised, despite it taking the exact same route every year it’s been run since 1988.

Charnwood
Borough Council previously would have dealt with safety issues and discussed any concerns with the club, but that role is now taken by Leicestershire County Council.

The
County Council outlined its concerns as Charnwood previously also did, but Barrow say the county county also advised that the event should not
go ahead.

Though the authority can’t stop the event from taking place, Barrow Runners believe
the council’s words would have made its insurance for the event invalid.

At the heart of the
issue is race marshals closing roads for a brief time towards the start
of races when the runners are bunched together.

In the Barrow 6’s case, that’s Cotes Road as the runners come out of Humphrey Perkins High School.

The
race secretary John Male, said: “We stop the traffic for a brief period. The council’s concern is that marshals can’t legally stop the traffic.

“If anything happened after they’d told us that, we would have no insurance cover.

“I can understand where the county council is coming from.

“But generally that’s how a lot of races work, they look after themselves and get on with it.”

Barrow Runners’ captain Stuart Spencer added: “We would have to stop cars for three or four minutes.

“It’s
certainly becoming more and more of an issue. I know Northamptonshire have lost lots of their races over the last three or four years because of these issues.

“Leicestershire
has been quite lucky as the district councils have tended to be quite flexible but it looks like it’s changing and down to getting road closures in place.

“There’s a meeting of the Leicestershire League where we will be bringing the issue up.”

A
spokesperson for Leicestershire County Council said: “Leicestershire County Council as the local safety advisory group is required by UK Athletics, which is the governing body for running, to raise any potential safety issues.

“Following
the issues at Barrow Running Club we will now be holding discussions with the Leicestershire Road Running League to ensure that clubs comply with the the requirements of their insurance.

“It
is important that the necessary road closures and safe marshalling arrangements are in place for running club events and our priority is ensuring that they occur safely.”

Barrow
Runners hold several events throughout the year, including the Boxing Day run which went ahead on December 26 last year, and they’re vowing to
continue with their preparations for the Prestwold 10K on June 22.

A
statement on the club’s website reads: “I want to reassure everyone that it hasn’t dampened the clubs enthusiasm to promote further events and we will now start planning for the Prestwold 10K.”

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